Students from Cornell University spent their spring break, April 1-5, participating in a service learning project in Tangelo Park to heighten social awareness, enhance personal growth and advocate lifelong social action.
On Monday and Tuesday, April 1-2, the college students worked with the in-home day care centers of the Tangelo Park 2-3-4-Year-Old Program, which provides free childcare for 2 to 4-year-old children living in the Tangelo Park Community; and the Rosen Parramore Preschool (located at OCPS Academic Center for Excellence). The Cornell students planned, prepared and executed hands-on learning activities with the children. They also spent time supporting, interacting and making connections with the day care home providers, preschool staff and children.
The college students spent Wednesday through Friday at Tangelo Park Elementary School, assisting teachers by providing one-on-one support to students with reading and math skills. They also built personal relationships and began discussing college as a future option.
After school, the volunteers visited Southwest Middle School and Dr. Phillips High School to meet with and mentor students from Tangelo Park. Program organizers hope the college students’ week of service will spark an interest in the Tangelo Park students to consider college.
In the evenings, when the Cornell students were not working in the Tangelo Park community or at one of the school campuses, they were involved in roundtable discussions and team activities that addressed various social justice issues, such as the educational opportunity gap.
Harry Rosen, a local hotel entrepreneur and Cornell graduate, created the Harris Rosen Foundation Scholarship to help alleviate the educational opportunity gap. The scholarship covers tuition, living and educational expenses through graduation for students from Tangelo Park who earn admission into a Florida public university, community or state college, or vocational school.
Rosen used a college education to help break his family’s cycle of poverty and hopes to do the same for Tangelo Park residents.
See highlights of their week.